Back when I first started teaching music lessons in Atlanta, I was a little self-conscious about my circumstances.

I lived in a small, run-down apartment with no central air conditioning and a bad parking situation. Piano lessons, I taught in the bedroom, and guitar lessons were in the living room.

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I thought I was starting an online school.

It seemed a logical pivot. In the fall of 2018 it began to occur to me that my sources of income consisted solely of two schools serving families in the same geographic area.

What if something were to happen in Atlanta to disrupt the education industry?

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When I started this blog, I thought I’d be talking to the parents of my students.

Instead, it’s turned out to be a lot of entrepreneurs and creatives. And that led me to start coaching and consulting with said entrepreneurs and creatives, which has become a career that I’m really enjoying.

But I’ve resisted going all in on gearing my topics exclusively to the small business owners who might be prospective clients.

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I’ll just tell you right at the top: The secret of my success is my employees.

Bringing other people into my business has made it possible for me to create something bigger than myself, which in turn makes it possible for me to spend my time building the next thing (or just enjoying life).

I can illustrate what I’m talking about with simple math. If I have six employees each working 30 hours a week, they are collectively working 180. That is more time than there is in a week, so I literally couldn’t do it without them.

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A few years ago, I approached my uncle for help in solving a desperate situation.

I had to make payroll in just a few days, and I wasn't sure how I was going to do it.

I needed $20,000, and I had...I don't know. Maybe half that? It was bad.

I was grateful to have him (and a select few other outstanding human beings) to turn to in this situation, but I felt so much shame at being in such a predicament in the first place. Why had I let things get to this point? I had been promising too much and charging too little. I was a failure as a business owner.

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